Savio – Freely

The Savio Freely 4WD was a concept vehicle designed by Paolo Martin and presented in 1988 on the stand of Carrozzeria Savio Sas at the Turin motor show. Savio, a Turin-based coachbuilding firm, was known for producing small-series special versions of compact Fiat models. Martin, who had previously created the Gobi 4WD, Spazio 3 and Halley concepts for Ilca Maggiora, developed the Freely in his studio in Gassino as a convertible "tent car" based on the Fiat Panda 4x4, intended for both leisure and work use.

Its plastic bodywork followed the style of a genuine off-road vehicle, with a symmetrical flank design featuring stepped sills at front and rear, and short, rounded overhangs that improved approach and departure angles. The upper body was flat, allowing either a hardtop (not shown at the Turin display) or a tent structure to be fitted, supported by front and rear roll bars and covering the full length of the vehicle's upper platform. The platform converted into a flat seating and sleeping area while retaining lower storage space, and could also carry long items up to 4 metres, such as skis, surfboards or hang gliders. A front-mounted electric winch reinforced its working and recreational purpose.

The Freely weighed around 600 kg, well below the standard Panda 4x4's 790 kg. Height reached 145 cm with the hardtop and 180 cm with the tent fitted, with usable interior space ranging from 3 to 4.5 square metres. It used the Panda 4x4's 999 cc four-cylinder engine, producing 50 hp at 5500 rpm and 78 Nm at 3000 rpm, with a wheelbase of 217 cm.